Projectile-keyed split sabot

ABSTRACT

This invention is directed to a projectile-keyed split sabot which will permit a slender projectile to be launched from a gun barrel so that its longitudinal axis is perpendicular to its trajectory. This permits the gun to be aimed so that the projectile strikes a target with a preselected orientation.

United States Patent Edward R. Seibert Oxon Hill, Md.

Oct. 15, 1969 Oct. 5, 1971 The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy lnventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee PROJECTILE-KEYED SPLIT SABOT 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 102/93, 102/92. 1

Int. Cl F42b 13/16 Field of Search lO2/93, 4l

[56] Reierences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 115,498 5/1871 Milbank l02/4l 686,375 l l/l90l Wheeler l02/4l 2,306,140 12/ i942 Reed l02/93 Primary Examiner-Robert F. Stahl An0meysR. S. Sciascia, Arthur L. Branning, R. J. Erickson and M. L. Crane ABSTRACT: This invention is directed to a projectile-keyed split sabot which will permit a slender projectile to be launched from a gun barrel so that its longitudinal axis is perpendicular to its trajectory. This permits the gun to be aimed so that the projectile strikes a target with a preselected orientation.

PATENTED nm 5 mm FIG. I

INVENTOR R. SE/BERT i an M A EDWARD RNEY 1 PROJECl'ILE -KEYED SPLIT SABOT STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Heretofore, various types of sabots have been used for carrying small projectiles being fired from a gun barrel. Some Y sabots are removed from the projectile by a stripper at the end of the gun barrel. Other sabots are removed by merely falling away upon emerging from the gun barrel and the projectile continues on to the target. It has been a desire on the part of ballisticians studying the penetration of armor materials to propel a slender projectile so that the projectile strikes an object with the axis of the projectile perpendicular to the normal of the target surface at the impact point. One such system makes use of a tipper located in front of the barrel and positioned such that the projectile will strike the edge of the tipper. The projectile leaves the barrel with its longitudinal axes colinear with that of the barrel and begins rotating as a result of the contact with the tipper. The tipper is positioned relative to the bore so that the projectile is rotated 90 within a preselected distance. The position of the tipper relative to the bore depends on the anticipated projectile velocity, once the distance to the target has been established.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A sabot of at least two identical semicylindrical pieces has been constructed I 'to support a slender projectile during along a gun barrel. The longitudinal axis of the projectile is perpendicular to that of the sabot and is located on the plane separating the two halves. The projectile is secured in a suitable recess, half of which is molded or machined in each sabot half. During travel in the gun barrel, the projectile serves as a key to maintain the sabot halves in their correct alignment, and they in turn keep the projectile oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of thebore. As the assembly leaves the gun barrel, the dynamic air pressure exerted on the tapered leading edges of the sabot halves separates the halves from each other and the projectile without disturbing the orientation or trajectory of the projectile.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sabot which permits firing a slender projectile such that its longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the axis of the gun barrel.

Another object is to provide a sabot which will separate from the projectile without affecting the orientation or trajectory of the projectile.

Still another object is to provide a sabot suitable for use in firing projectiles which closely simulate the weight and form of actual fragments which emanate from explosive ordinance.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from consideration of the following specification relating to the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIG. 1 illustrates a side view in cross section of a slender projectile held by a sabot in a smooth-bore gun barrel shown in cross section,

FIG. 2 illustrates an end view of a slender projectile held by a sabot such as fired in a smooth-bore gun barrel, and

FIG. 3 illustrates the sabot separated from the projectile with the projectile on its way to a target.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT Now, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown by illustration, a slender projectile held in place within a smooth-bore gun barrel ll by a split sabot comprising two semicylindrical sections 12 and 13. The projectile 10 is seated in matching grooves 14 in the sabot halves, and serves to maintain the relative position of the two parts of the sabot while traveling in the barrel. The sabot in turn maintains the projectile in its orientation. The front surfaces of both sabot halves are cut at an angle to form a vee, with the apex pointing toward the base of the assembly. As the assembly leaves the gun barrel, the dynamic air pressure operates against the slanted leading surfaces of the sabot, separating the two halves from each other and from the projectile. The projectile cross sections which can be utilized with the sabot are those which would permit the sabot halves to freely rotate around a point at the rear of the sabot assembly.

FIG. 3 illustrates the sabot half sections separated from the projectile after the assembly has emerged from the gun barrel.

In operation, the projectile is placed in the sabot between the two half sections within the cutouts therein. The sabot containing the projectile is then assembled into the gun barrel with the angular cut faces facing the nuzzle of the gun barrel. The sabot-projectile assembly is forced along and from the gun barrel by gas pressure trapped behind the sabot. As the sabot leaves the gun barrel, the dynamic air pressure acting on the angular faces of the sabot tend to force the front ends of the sabot symmetrically away from the projectile. Initially, as the front faces of the sabot separate, the rearward end may be forced against each other to act as a pivot point for the front end. The sabot sections are forced away from the projectile so the trajectory of the slender projectile is not altered when the sabot separates from the projectile. Therefore, the projectile will continue in an unaltered direction toward impact with an object in the path of the projectile.

Since the substantially semicircular cutout in each of the half sections of the sabot are perpendicular to the axis of the gun barrel, the projectile will continue in a path with the longitudinal axis of the projectile perpendicular to its trajectory...

Therefore, the gun can be aimed so that the projectile'will hit an object or target broadsides with the longitudinal axis of the projectile perpendicular to the normal of the target surface at the point of contact, or with any other preselected orientation.

The sabot has been described as being formed with two semicylindrical sections with the projectile positioned so that its longitudinal axis is perpendicular to that of the sabot and lies on the plane which divides the two sections of the sabot. The projectile is shown as sealed in matching recessesin the sabot pieces. The sabot is not limited to two sections but may be formed with more than two sections. The important thing is that the projectile act as a key to hold the many parts together when the sabot is in the bore of the gun barrel and that the many parts have a sloping forward face so that the dynamic air pressure exerted on the sloping faces of the sabot pieces separates the many sections from each other and the projectile without disturbing the orientation or trajectory of the projectile.

The projectile has been shown as a cylindrical element and the cutouts within which the projectile is held in the sabot are semicircular in cross section. The cutouts in the half section of the sabot and the cross section of the projectile may take any shape so long as they mate to permit proper assembly of the sabot half sections and so long as the sabot pieces are free to separate from each other and from the projectile by rotation about some axis behind the projectile. The projectile functions to hold the half sections together and the half sections maintain alignment of the projectile while being fired from a gun barrel.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is: v v

1. An elongated cylindrical sabot for firing a projectile from a gun barrel with the longitudinal axis of the projectile perpendicular to the trajectory, which comprises,

tive to each other and said sections maintain alignment of said projectile.

2. A sabot claimed in claim 1, wherein,

said elongated sections are formed of two substantially identical semicylindrical sections, and

said cutouts in each sabot half receives the projectile so that the longitudinal axis of the projectile is perpendicular to that of the sabot and is located on the plane separating the two sections. 

1. An elongated cylindrical sabot for firing a projectile from a gun barrel with the longitudinal axis of the projectile perpendicular to the trajectory, which comprises, at least two separate elongated sections separated along the longitudinal axis each having a forward surface angularly inclined rearwardly to the longitudinal axis of said sabot, with the forward surface shaped as a ''''V,'''' opposing cutouts in each of said separate elongated sections perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, said cutouts having an alignment to receive therein said projectile, whereby said projectile functions as a key to restrict said elongated sections against longitudinal movement relative to each other and said sections maintain alignment of said projectile.
 2. A sabot claimed in claim 1, wherein, said elongated sections are formed of two substantially identical semicylindrical sections, and said cutouts in each sabot half receives the projectile so that the longitudinal axis of the projectile is perpendicular to that of the sabot and is located on the plane separating the two sections. 